A Changed Wynderia
by Kondoru
Summary: Shiroi Kumo journeys to Wynderia, after a 12 year absence. What will he find?
1. Chapter 1

Shiroi Kumo had been in a strange mood of late. Normally he sat on the outer ramparts of Gaudrim, that or his usual perch high in Earl Tyrant's hall. (`At least Makenshi's not underfoot` mused Earl Tyrant.)

But these past two days he had not left his quarters.

These were right on the outer ramparts, with permanently open shutters, Gaudrim had few windows and those that there were small, but Kumo was determined to get the fresh air he craved.

Though it was icy cold, Kumo lay naked in his nest of congealed Mist. Like all his kind he was inured to the cold and the wet, and frequently sat out in the snow with hardly anything (or nothing) on. Mist, however was soft and warm, and made an ideal bed.

Kumo was plotting.

--------

It was always sunny in Herba's secret garden; the plant woman was pricking out seedlings, as the Mysterian swordsmaster came up.

"Have you got any nettles?" Asked Kumo.

"Stinging nettles?" Replied Herba with an emphasis on the stinging bit as if she knew what she would like to do with them to Makenshi.

"Yes, nettle soup, good Mysterian dish."

"They are down the winding path by the stream, just beyond the goat willow." Herba told him, "the gloves are in the potting shed hung up on the right." She added, in a manner that suggested she would rather Kumo got stung.

"`Touch a nettle softly and you will get stung;

Grasp it like a man of mettle and it will do no harm.`"

"Don't take them all!" Called Herba after him.

--------

After having stolen the Hayakawas jam pan, Kumo set to work. Gaudrim had the power of lightning; Kumo knew how to work electrical appliances from his life on Wynderia after the destruction of his world. (He was still suspicious of the microwave though.) Pretty soon he had a pan of green goop boiled beyond what was needful to make soup, (he had taken his soup out earlier) Kumo retreated to the bathroom in his apartment.

Pretty soon he emerged, outside was Crux, who came and went randomly.

Crux's already large eyes widened at the sight of what Makenshi had done to himself.

"What do you think of this?" Asked Kumo.

Crux pulled a face. "Have you gone punk?" She asked.

"Don't be silly, many Mysterians have green hair...And with my eyes I don't have a choice."

"Disguise?" Crux continued.

"Yup."

"Can't hide you inside."

Kumo shook his newly dyed hair, "with a bit of misdirection no one will notice. Where I'm going they don't tend to notice such things. I can sense one of their Adepts long before they get near me."

Kumo retreated to his bedroom to Crux's puzzled cluckings.

He rummaged in the cupboards for a while, getting out several strange items of clothing.

"What do you think this looks like?" He went back to the living room.

Crux frowned. Kumo was now dressed in a manner very different to anything she had seen on her wide travels. She paused. "Cultural cross-dressing."

"Is that what you call it? Very appropriate."

Crux rubbed together her hands. "You have the metal horn tips of a Mysterian noble."

"Fine, but where I'm going pretty much every Horned One has them, will draw the eyes away from the fact that I have seven horns."

Crux nodded, "now you just have three. And that grey striped blanket tied back over your shoulders, a hornless slave..." She shook her head, not wanting to say the next bit, "or a moogle...A Wynderian moogle.... And a mist mask"

"You're quite right, but I can't get rid of the mask." Metal was very rare upon Mysteria and only one of his princely status would be able to afford a metal mist mask, (most were of leather, and not very effective, but on Mysteria that hardly mattered) Metal horn tips were regarded as hopelessly flash.

"And you have the brown jeans and heavy boots of a Wynderian miner." Crux looked even more doubtful, "freaky. And don't let Master see that jersey with `COMADEEN` on it."

"You're right, this is a very odd getup, and do you know what it is?"

Crux looked up; "you're a renegade Horned One of Wynderia."

"Not quite, or I used to be," he agreed that his disguise was a very weird one, and had bitter sweet memories of someone who was the first to `cultural cross dress` as Crux had so aptly called it, he had a Mysterian name cloak over his miners garb...But by then he had needed it.

"You do know Mysterian and Wynderia are allies now?"

"Yipe," said Crux.

"A threat to Chaos, when they start acting in concert, and not arguing over what to do..." Kumo laughed, "which knowing those scoundrels might take time."

"Can't count on them." Crux was sad.

"No, so I'm going there to put a spanner in the works, as the Soil Adepts would say...or help. Good idea?"

Crux shook her head dubiously.

"Relax, I think I can do it. I'm very curious."

"Dangerous. They know you."

"They know Shiroi Kumo, a nice boy in white who sticks doggedly to his native garb, not some green haired oik who thinks its trendy to dress like a soil grubber."

"They have a big price on your head. In both worlds." Crux told him.

Shiroi Kumo should be flattered. Besides the Dragon Lords have offered more gil than the Adepts of Soil have.

Crux gave an uninterpretable grunt.

"You can hide under my blanket."

"I'm not sure I want to come."

"Don't be silly. I'm sick of being mewed up in this dump; I want to go cause trouble."

"No, I'm not coming."

"Very well," said Kumo, slightly annoyed at that good spy elsewhere, "I've heard that the Kigenjutsu master is doing naked ascetics...I'm sure Earl Tyrant will want `detailed` snapshots."

Crux knew a dismissal when she heard it; she stomped off in a huff.

Kumo too was a little curious about what Lisa was doing, gaining spiritual energy...Like all Adepts of whatever discipline Kumo could be an insufferable egoist; other Adepts were for power challenges if not outright fights.

This was the initial problem between Mysteria and Wynderia...But Chaos had escalated it into a general fight.

He shook his head; let that psychopath Kaze behave that way, he had other pricks to kick.

--------

Kumo met Oscar in the corridor on they way out. The freak said "going to a fancy dress party Makenshi?" In that silly sort of tone.

"Oh no, if I was, Id go as Makenshi."

This made Oscar wiggle and laugh in that gruesome way of his...A good thing.

-------


	2. Chapter 2

A Changed Wynderia by Kondoru

Part Two

Standard Disclaimers

Thanks to JP for betaing.

Wynderia was the biggest dump you could imagine, this part was a grim industrial city, full of such delights as Soil refineries, iron smelting works, machine shops and other things to please the delicate Wynderian soul. There was an actual countryside in Wynderia, but even that was grimly, consisting of dark pine forest.

He walked though the crowds, dodging trams, puddles of Soil, moogles and cyclists. Wynderia was a very busy place.

Kumo had no set destination; he just wanted to get the feel of the place...If the people of Earth had allied with those of the Sky....

No one gave Kumo more than a slight glance, which was a little odd, when he had first travelled to Wynderia after Mysteria was destroyed, he had been forever trailed by curious Wynderians, anxious to see one of the mythical Dragon Kin.

This was after he had been released. The Masters of Soil had been very unhappy to find a Tamaken wielder in their midst.

But now Mysterians were here too, dressed as strangely as he was, none gave him more than a nod of acknowledgement. How Kumo wished to talk to them! But he had changed, as had these now strangers.

The Wynderians were different too, a dour, drably dressed folk, now their earth hued garb was supplemented by coloured Mysterian spidersilk scarves, several sported completely inappropriate Mysterian signature cloaks, and still others wore light bird leather moccasins in place of their usual heavy boots.

Wynderia was not the same. He wondered if Mysteria had changed too. Kumo shook his head, he knew it had.

It had been twelve years since he had summoned Ittenju and thereby become Unlimited, and unchangeable.

This had disadvantages.

Kumo passed a bar, and almost went in, but then he remembered he was underage...Kumo wasn't going to get any older either, dammit.

Kumo paused at a corner, nearly bumping into a dignified fat moogle, who grunted at him disdainfully, Wynderia was getting to him, he hated the place as only a Mysterian could, but he also harboured bitter sweet memories.

Kumo had spent several months in a cell in one of the Masters of Soils monasteries, short of cutting off his horns; the Soil Adepts had done their damnedest to turn Kumo into one of them. He had to wear their strange clothes, including heavy boots, which rubbed his feet raw, and a steel collar which hurt his neck. The Adepts put a new metal mist mask upon him, one that only they could remove. This was only unlocked at mealtimes (rabbit stew and roots and other unclean foods) during which he was chained to the wall and watched over by an Adept with a gun.

Nights were spent on a thin straw mattress in a windowless cell and his days when not attending lessons were occupied in digging in a Soil mine.

Worse of all he was not allowed to sing.

Kumo didn't know how he could still be alive, he somehow had survived his worlds complete (At least he had thought it to be a totality; that and Wynderia too. But now he knew that parts at least of both mirror worlds had been thrust into the Inner World.) Destruction, he had recovered in spite of his injuries, which were severe, nor had the machinations of the Masters of Soil been his demise.

But many days he wished he were dead. His new life was unbearable.

Aurora had been his salvation, strange to say.

She was in jail too...It had been her who had been responsible for some attacks on Mysteria.

Ever since the Wynderians had devised aeroplanes of sufficient power to get to the skystone islands certain Adepts of Soil had gone there to cause aggro.

Never mind that Mysterians had descended to earth to make trouble too.

This sort of trouble was normal in persons with `Powers we cannot name.`

Adept fights were common, the Masters of Soil and Horned Ones all insufferable egoists, and loved nothing more than to show off by besting a rival.

Under normal circumstances, these scraps were bound by custom; to reduce collateral damage if at all possible.

The Wynderian cowboys had not obeyed any rules.

These rebel Initiates (few of them were fully mature Adepts.) Would fly up in one of their ramshackle aeroplanes.

They were looking for a Horned One. The Dragon Kin tended to keep well out of the way. The intruders were armed with hunting rifles and bullets doped up with Soil, even a scratch was deadly to a Mysterian.

If they couldn't find a Horned One the troublemakers would thrash around, burning crops and villages, and generally being awful.

The situation was getting too close to a full-scale war for anybodies liking.

So the Grandmasters of both disciplines came to an agreement, the overenthusiastic adepts and initiates would be punished, and the ringleaders dealt with.

Now Aurora was in custody, try tokeep her out of mischief.

She had been put in charge of Kumo's care during his illness, with the unspoken agreement that if he died of neglect, it wouldn't matter.

But Aurora was glad of the swordmasters company; Kumo slowly began to regain his strength. Little did it help him, save to get him down the mines.

But Aurora was by his side. Kumo decided to live for her sake, life, as a penitent was harsh.

Eventually they started doing things that Aurora said was forbidden to a Adept of Soil. (Another reason not to follow that career path.) But completely acceptable to one of the Dragon Kin.

When the Grandmaster had found out about this he had beaten Aurora so much she couldn't walk for a week.

Kumo had been unpunished; this hurt him hard, evidently he was not important...Or morally corrupt.


	3. Chapter 3

A Changed Wynderia By Kondoru

Part Three

Standard Disclaimers

Thanks to JP for betaing.

Shiroi Kumo finally found a way to prove his worth to the Masters of Soil.

Sometimes a Master had to act as a medium, speak to a spirit, either of a dead person, or one of the innumerable unseen ones who inhabited the land.

These spirits might cause trouble in varying ways. They haunted houses, throwing stones, setting fires and other accidents, they could cause crops and ore seams to fail, and in abnormal cases could possess someone, an animal or even a vehicle.

When supernatural things happened, an Adept of Soil was called in; the first thing was to get the spirit to speak to a medium, who would asses the situation.

To be effective as a medium, the Soil Adept had to be purified, generally though fasting, meditation cold water, and celibacy, indeed the last was very important, all of the Soil Adepts had to go though various ascetics all their careers, but the celibacy bit was permanent.

Mysterian masters worked pretty much the same way; though they did not do ascetics quite so much, at least for the minor spiritual troublemakers whom ninety nine times out of a hundred needed dealing with.

Greater demons were a different matter.

To Kumo's mind the self-denial of the Masters of Soil were unnecessary overkill.

Particularly the lifelong celibacy bit.

Horned Ones had to make more Horned Ones after all.

Kumo often wondered what would happen if the Masters of Soil took this view, but he dare not say anything, even to Aurora (who had taught him about contraceptives; another matter new and alien to the Mysterian.)

A report had come in of a haunting at a homestead on the edge of the moors, and the Adepts were talking over who would be medium.

Kumo listened; he made up his mind. This sounded like a simple haunting; Shiroi Kumo had a plan. "Very well, Ill do it."

And the Grandmaster had agreed, eager to see him fail.

Kumo fasted and did cold water austerities all that week, Aurora kept out of his way, indeed was forbidden from his presence. She too was interested to see just what he could do.

Kumo found himself doing extra cold water baths whenever he thought of her.

-----------------------------

Kumo's superior spirit saved the day. The spirit had been willing to talk though him, the message was delivered, and another spirit took its place, one hitherto unsuspected.

After that, Kumo was respected more; he had proved he could do the work of a Soil Adept.

His cumbersome mask was removed and his light, comfy one of old returned to him. No one worried what he did with his Mist now. He was allowed more freedom, fewer hours digging in the dirt.

Someone found a bolt of undyed spiders silk somewhere, which was passed onto a tailor, and soon Kumo was White Cloud all over again.

Best of all, his Tamaken was returned.

Things were improving, as much as they ever could.

But his comrade and lover was still unhappy; Auroras life was improving too; she had been engrossed in her studies now that her ward had regained his independency, and the last winter had gone on the retreat of the great cold, a prelude to full adepthood.

Aurora's spirit was unusually strong for a Wynderian, and interestingly it was not coloured like most peoples, instead her soul was like a rainbow.

"She will go far," said the Grandmaster Shandu "provided she keeps out of trouble."

Aurora was now arrayed in the brown robe of an adept, instead of the grey of an initiate. She had been nominally released, though her movements were still under some restriction.

She was still sad.

Kumo felt better able to ask her why. He did after a hard day in the library.

Aurora hung her head "it's my big brother," she said in a sad voice.

"You had a brother too?" Kumo had been in the Halls of Soil for six months; this was the first he had heard of his friend's family.

Aurora told Kumo about Kaze.

Even after that, Kumo was not sure what Kaze had been up to; Aurora wouldn't talk about it. "My brother's crazy for spiritual power," she had told him, "he wants to be as strong as a Mysterian."

"I know how he feels."

"No you don't; a strong spirit is natural to your kind, Kaze's been drawn into heresy."

"Has he?"

Aurora looked pained; "he now uses...artificial aids." She had said as if she was talking about a person with a drawer full of sex toys.

Kumo heard more about Kaze from their Grandmaster.

Kaze was trouble incarnate.

Aurora's elder brother had been hiding with some renegade soil adepts, he had agreed to be sacrificed to Hougekiju, one of the patron demons of Soil.

"Hougekiju?" Kumo had frowned; "he's the mortal enemy of Ittenju."

The Grandmaster had nodded slowly, "danger to you and all your kind."

Kumo frowned. "Is this who destroyed Mysteria? Kumo was used to adept fights, it was part of life, but this magical arms race of the mirror worlds had gone far too far. Nobody minded a few wild contests and villages trashed, and then there was that embarrassing incident where a skystone island had been moved to shade out the sun from Wynderia...But complete destruction was going too far.

Aurora shook her head. "No, that was Chaos; Kaze's not summoned Hougekiju ...Yet."

Kumo nodded he knew that Hougekiju could destroy Chaos...Kaze was biding his time.

"He can summon Hougekiju?" Kumo frowned, to summon a greater demon was something that only the strongest Mysterian masters could even attempt; and to be frank, none of the Soil Masters he had known could come near the strength of the Horned Ones.

Reluctantly Aurora told Kumo about the Magun.

Kaze had been dead but then he had returned.

He had changed.

He now bore the Hell wrought Magun upon his right arm, The horrified Adepts of Soil had exiled him to the fastness of the Zikiki alps, a remote mountain range many thousands of miles from the nearest damageable Wynderia city.

Kumo had pricked up his ears; While the newly renamed Kuroki Kaze might not be enjoying his mountain retreat; this sounded an ideal place for him to live, no dreary city, no Soil, just him and the skies and the snow.

He had said as such to Aurora.

She shook her head. "I haven't been allowed to see him," Aurora broke down, "I want to, dearly."

Kumo held her close. "I miss my big brother too."

Aurora shook her head, "but your Kiri is dead.... Kaze's still alive; if the state he's in can be described as true living."

Kumo looked sad, "Chaos is coming."

"I know, I don't like the complacency of the Masters."

"I'm strong enough now. I can summon Ittenju."

This was big talk.

"And just what will happen if Kaze summons Hougekiju in return? This world will be destroyed."

Kumo hung his head, "Chaos will destroy it anyway...Can Kaze `really` summon Hougekiju??"

"I don't know, What Kaze does is rather different to the way you Mysterian summon; I think there are certain conditions that need to be met first."

She had not told him just what she meant.


End file.
